Songbird
by Amanda Lauren
Summary: Scarlett Richards used to sing with her Broadway star parents, Katherine and Gerard. But since her mother's death, neither Gerard or Scarlett does anything musical. But when Scarlett tries out for a musical, she meets David, and nothing is certain anymore
1. Chapter 1

Prologue

Scarlett took a deep breath as the music gave her the cue. This was her night; her night to triumph. Tonight she sang for him alone…

Chapter One

Scarlett's blaring alarm rang, telling her that another day was starting. Groggily, she rolled over and hit the 'Snooze' button. The alarm shut off and Scarlett lay there lethargically for a moment.

If she didn't get up now, her father would come in. Then she would have an alarm that unfortunately, had no snooze button. Muttering under her breath she crawled out of bed and stumbled into her bathroom.

Half-an-hour later, Scarlett sat down at the table with her usual bowl of Lucky Charms. Her father, Gerard Richards, joined her a few minutes later, rubbing the sleep from his eyes blearily. Scarlett smiled fondly over at him.

"Late night last night Dad?" she asked teasingly.

"Yes, actually. I was…composing."

Scarlett's spoon clattered noisily in her bowl as she dropped it, but she ignored it. She stared in surprise at Gerard. Her father used to compose music for operas that premiered on Broadway. He hadn't down any composing since Scarlett's mother, Katherine, had died several years beforehand.

"Dad, that's great!" Scarlett exclaimed, regaining her voice.

Gerard smiled in gratitude at his daughter, stroking her cheek as he stood. Checking his watch, he put Scarlett's now empty bowl in the sink.

"You had better get a move on, honey. You'll be late."

Scarlett kissed Gerard's cheek, grabbed her bag, and headed for the elevator. The yellow 'Penthouse' button lit up almost immediately after she had pressed it. She stepped inside and the doors slid shut. One floor down, the doors opened to admit Professor Evelyn, a family friend.

"Good morning, Scarlett," Evelyn said, smiling warmly at the teenager.

"Hello, Evelyn."

They rode in companionable silence for a moment. Evelyn opened her mouth to speak at the same time Scarlett did.

"Go ahead, Scarlett."

"My father is composing again, Evelyn."

Evelyn grinned. She had known Gerard and Katherine since they were all children. She was Scarlett's godmother and had mourned alongside Gerard and Scarlett when Katherine had passed away.

"That's excellent. It means he may be finally starting to recover."

Scarlett nodded and fell silent, pondering.

"Oh, what were you going to say?" she asked a moment later, remembering Evelyn had wanted to say something too.

"Oh, nothing important. I was simply wondering if you would share a taxi with me."

"Well, alright. If you're sure…"

Evelyn nodded fervently, berating herself for chickening out. The elevator dinged as they arrived at the lobby. The doorman hailed a taxi for them, and a few minutes later both were on their way to the high school.

Evelyn knew she would never forgive herself if she let this opportunity pass by. She took a deep breath and Scarlett turned from the window expectantly.

"Scarlett, you know I think of you as daughter," Evelyn began.

Scarlett nodded, wondering where this was leading to.

"You know that I think you have an outstanding voice."

Scarlett's features contracted with pain. Unwillingly, she remembered singing with her mother. Katherine had been a famous Broadway singer, lending her voice to many different musicals. Scarlett's voice had been as good as her mother's, if not better.

But Scarlett hadn't sung since Katherine died.

"Professor, I don't sing anymore. You know that." Scarlett whispered, turning back to the window.

"Yes, I know! But Scarlett, you have a beautiful voice! You are so talented, and I hate that that talent is going to waste."

"What's your point, Professor?" Scarlett asked coldly.

Evelyn flinched from the cool note in Scarlett's voice, but refused to give up so easily. Leaning closer to Scarlett, she took the younger girl's hand.

"The university is doing a musical production this year. We're inviting seniors from your school to participate if they so choose."

Evelyn worked as the drama professor for the state university. They were located close to the high school, but this was their first joint production.

"Tryouts are this afternoon at four o'clock in the university theater. I really think you should come out and sing for us," Evelyn continued.

Scarlett deliberated. She really did love to sing. Maybe she could go back to musical roots with her father. He was obviously ready to take up the threads of a long forgotten past, so why was she still holding tight?

"What musical is it?" she asked, chewing her lip.

Evelyn hesitated before she spoke. This would be the most difficult part of her plan to sell to Scarlett.

"It's the Phantom of the Opera."

Tears sprang to Scarlett's eyes. The famous musical had been Katherine's last project before she had passed. It was also Scarlett's favorite musical. She remembered begging her parents to take her to the musical several times and singing the lyrics with her mother around the flat while her father accompanied… She shook her head, brushing the tears away.

"Scarlett, your father is beginning to move on. I think you should start as well. Your mother would be so happy."

Scarlett looked at the professor, tears still shining in her eyes. Evelyn gently squeezed her goddaughter's hand. The taxi pulled into the school parking lot and Scarlett hastily wiped at her eyes again.

"Will you please think about it?" Evelyn asked gently.

Scarlett was silent for a full minute. She sighed and opened the door.

"I'll think about it," she said as she began getting out of the taxi.

Evelyn smiled in relief. Scarlett was always true to her word, and she knew that Scarlett would give the matter serious thought.

"Thank you," she said as Scarlett reached to close the door.

Scarlett nodded once, then turned and disappeared into the growing crowd of high school students. Evelyn directed the taxi driver to take her to the university. She smiled, looking forward to the tryouts later that afternoon.

Scarlett was lost in thought, staring into space, not even touching her food. Her friend Krissy dropped onto the bench next to her.

"Stupid Physics teacher," she snapped, picking up her fork. "She a_lways_ lets us out late."

After a moment she realized that Scarlett was out of it. Krissy waved her hand in front of Scarlett's face.

"Hey, Scarlett. Anything going on in there?"

Scarlett blinked and shook her head a little, her blond curls bouncing.

"Sorry, Krissy. What were you saying?"

Krissy laughed and resumed eating her lunch.

"Nothing important. Are you alright?"

"Yeah, I'm fine."

Krissy, who had been friends with Scarlett since elementary school, sighed. She wondered when Scarlett would open up with her again. She had been slightly withdrawn since Katherine's death.

"Sure. If you don't want to talk about it-"

"I might go to an audition later, Krissy," Scarlett blurted, cutting her friend off.

Krissy dropped her fork in ecstatic surprise. Scarlett had used to participate in school choir alongside Krissy. They had dominated their classmates, Scarlett as a soprano and Krissy as an alto. However, that was back in middle school, and the two friends hadn't sung together since.

"That's wonderful, Scarlett! Is it that new senior and University combined project? They were doing Phantom of the Opera, right?" Krissy ran on without waiting for an answer. "That is such an amazing musical to perform, and you would kill the tryouts for Christine. You really should seriously consider trying out."

Scarlett shrugged nonchalantly, a small amused smile on her face. She was used to Krissy's bubbly personality.

"I told Evelyn I would think about it."

"What is there to think about, Scarlett? You have an amazing voice and I think you're pretty much guaranteed the part of Christine."

The bell rang as Krissy ended her little tirade. Scarlett got to her feet and threw her mostly full plate away. Krissy tagged along with Scarlett, walking her friend to her next class.

"I just don't know, Krissy," Scarlett said, going into the Drama classroom.

"Well I do," Krissy muttered as she headed for her own class. "And I think you deserve more credit than you're giving yourself."

Evelyn paced the stage, shooting anxious glances at the theater doors every few seconds. It was fifteen minutes past four o'clock, and then auditioners were all raring to begin. Scarlett should have been here by now, if she was even coming at all. Evelyn sighed and turned the face the hopefuls in the audience. The judges were glancing impatiently at their watches, which only irritated Evelyn further.

"Right, everyone! Can I have your attention please?"

At once everyone was silent. Evelyn could feel all eyes on her.

"We're ready to begin now. Would everyone-"

Evelyn was cut off by the sound of a door quietly closing. She looked back to the theater doors and saw Scarlett quietly slipping inside. Scarlett gave her a small wave as she sat in the second row, and Evelyn smiled slightly at her.

"Now, would everyone trying out for the part of Meg Giry please stand over here?" she asked, indicating a section of the stage.

A small crowd stood up and made their way to the section Evelyn had pointed out. All of the girls looked nervous except for one. She had pale, ivory skin, long ebony hair pulled back with a bow, and large pretty black eyes. She had ballet slippers on her feet and looked ready for anything.

"All trying out for the part of Madame Giry over here; Raoul de Chagny over there," Evelyn commanded, gesturing to each location in turn.

"Carlotta audtioners come center stage. Those auditions will be first."

No one moved. Scarlett almost laughed, but the look on Evelyn's face stopped her. The director was staring down at a girl sitting in the center of the front row. The girl had a condescending smirk on her lovely face and she was surrounded by people on either side. She shook her head at Evelyn, causing her long wavy red hair to ripple down her back.

"Alright then. On to our stars. Would all who are auditioning for the parts of the Phantom and Christine Daae stand together over here? Those parts will try out together."

Scarlett got to her feet, along with the red-haired girl and two other guys. They all stood towards the right center stage. Scarlett turned to see the red-haired girl scowling at her.

"This is _my _drama department and this is _my_ part," she hissed. "Don't get in my way."

The girl pushed past Scarlett and went to stand by one of the guys audition for the part of the Phantom. Scarlett rolled her eyes and turned her back on the girl.

_Prima Donna in the making…_

Scarlett's gaze fell on the other guy auditioning for the role of the Phantom. He definitely looked the part, with his dark hair and intense blue-grey eyes. He glared at her with irritation, like he was bothered by her looking at him. Evelyn divided up the other parts and came over to Scarlett's group.

"You lot may want to take a seat. We want to save your parts for last."

Scarlett immediately turned for the stairs. She took a seat in the audience away from the other people in her group and proceeded to watch the auditions. The confident girl with the ballet slippers was a superb singer and an excellent dancer. The judges gave her the role of Meg Giry and assigned the other girls to backup dancers.

The girl who had won the part walked happily over to where Scarlett was sitting.

"Hi, I'm Natalia. You're Scarlett Richards?" she said in a thick Southern accent.

Scarlett nodded, shocked by Natalia's overall bubbliness.

"That's cool," Natalia said, understanding that Scarlett didn't want to talk.

Scarlett resumed watching the auditions. The role of Madame Giry was filled, but they were unable to find a Raoul. Finally, Evelyn called Scarlett's group up to audition.

"First we are going to split you up, one Phantom with Christine, the other Phantom with the other Christine."

Evelyn hurried to hover over the judge's table. They handed her a slip of paper and Evelyn walked to stand in front of the stage.

"Now, these are picked randomly, so there is no need to switch. Kate, you are singing with Keith. Scarlett, you are with David."

Kate moved to stand next to the tall boy she had been standing with before. Scarlett's heart sank as she realized she was singing with the angry boy. He came forward to stand with her.

"Professor Stewarts, Keith and I are ready, so can we go first?" Kate asked, already taking center stage, hand on her hip.

"Sure Kate, since you have already taken the honor of taking the center stage."

The audience members that weren't friends with Kate chuckled. It was rare that a teacher rebuked Kate. Kate took it in stride though and stood taller, preparing to sing.

"What song have you chosen?" one of the judges asked.

"The Phantom of the Opera," Keith replied.

The judges nodded and scribbled down the song title. After a moment Evelyn nodded at Kate to begin.

"_In sleep he sang to me, in dreams he came," Kate began the famous song._

Scarlett raised her eyebrows; Kate was really _good_. But there was something wrong with the way she sang Christine's part. Kate had a good voice for opera, but it was a little over-the-top. David elbowed Scarlett gently in the arm, jarring her back to the stage.

"Come with me. This is going to get seriously annoying pretty soon," he muttered.

"Can we leave?" she asked anxiously.

"Yeah, its fine."

David walked towards the right stage exit, holding up a finger to Evelyn. Evelyn nodded at them and returned her attention to Kate and Keith. David led Scarlett outside into a hallway, propping the door open a little so they could get back inside when they were done. He stepped away from the door so they couldn't be overheard.

"What song are we going to sing?" he asked.

"It's doesn't matter to me."

"Fine. We're singing "The Point of No Return", then."

David turned to go back inside, but Scarlett moved in his way. He looked at her, his eyes incredulous and questioning.

"David, are you serious about this audition?"

David straightened, making him even taller than he had been before. He looked down at her with cold eyes.

"You had better bet I'm serious. The Arts are my life."

Scarlett blushed at the hostility in his voice. He moved past her and listened at the doors for a second.

"Good, the toad is done singing. Come on."

Scarlett followed him back into the auditorium. Kate had apparently just finished singing "Think of Me". She was standing of to the side and shot a contemptuous look at Scarlett as she walked with David back over to the opposite corner of the stage. Scarlett ignored as Keith sang "Down Once More".

Keith was really good too, but he lacked the emotion in his voice needed to bring out the Phantom's character. Scarlett thought it might have just been the song, which required passion, anger, and sorrow. The song was shorter without Christine and Raoul's voice parts, and Keith moved to stand with Kate as the judges wrote down their thoughts.

When the judges had finished, Evelyn motioned for David and Scarlett to take the stage. Feeling her stomach churning, Scarlett began her silent warm-up and breathing exercises.

"And your joint song will be?" Evelyn asked.

"The Point of No Return," David replied, calm and serene.

After a second Evelyn motioned for David and Scarlett to begin. David faced Scarlett and began the song. Scarlett stared at David as his face transformed, becoming the character of the Phantom of the Opera.

"_You have come here, in pursuit of your deepest urge."_

Scarlett's mouth fell open. David had an _amazing_ voice! Just hearing him sing made Scarlett feel invincible; like she could take on any song as long as she was singing with him. As she watched him, David became the Phantom singing to his love, Christine. It was then that Scarlett knew what David meant when he had said that the Arts were his life.

"_You have brought me to that moment when words dry!"_ Scarlett sang perfectly on cue.

Evelyn smiled as she watched Scarlett sing. She knew that Scarlett still had her amazing talent. If only Gerard were here. He would be so proud of Scarlett.

Meanwhile, on the stage, Scarlett had shed her own identity, becoming Christine Daae. She was focused entirely on how she was singing the words, concentrating on getting to the point where her audience could feel she knew what the song meant. There was no one else in the world but her and David at the moment.

Scarlett's solo was almost over. It was almost the time when she and David would sing together. Scarlett could feel her audience's astonishment, but she was too deeply immersed in her character to care.

Evelyn gasped when she heard David and Scarlett sing together. They brought their characters to life with their beautiful voices. Glancing at the judges, she could tell that they were completely won over as well.

Scarlett and David ended the song, perfect to the last note. Both were breathing heavily, and Scarlett saw a new expression on David's face when he looked at her. Then, as he fell out of character, his guard came back up and he turned away from her.

"Well done!" a judge said. "Now, Miss Richards, what will you be singing for your solo?"

Scarlett had known what she would sing since the moment she had considered auditioning.

"Wishing You Were Somehow Here Again."

Evelyn's eyes misted over as Scarlett began the mournful song. Scarlett closed her eyes so no one else could see her own tears. Her crying did not affect her voice, but she still made an effort to get her emotions under control.

Evelyn heard a choking noise from behind her and turned to see Gerard, his eyes focused on his daughter. She saw that he was worked up and went over to him, laying a comforting hand on his shoulder. He nodded to her as a greeting, but he had eyes only for Scarlett.

_"Try to forgive, teach me to live! Give me the strength to try!"_ Scarlett sang, her voice growing more captivating and louder with each note.

Gerard was shocked. Scarlett sounded like an angel; her voice even better than Katherine's had been. She even deserved this role, and that was something Gerard rarely said to anyone.

David watched Scarlett sing from the wings, his whole opinion of her changing. David had always known he was different, ever since he was little. His parents hadn't wanted a child, so they had dumped with his aunt and left, never looking back. His aunt had cared for him as much as possible, but she lacked a mother's warm and nurturing touch. As a result, he had mistrusted women- why should he when his own mother had never had the compassion to keep her only son?

As he looked at Scarlett, he realized that maybe all women weren't so bad, just some. He felt a desire to be Scarlett's friend and know her better.

_"Help me say goodbye!"_ Scarlett's voice reverberated throughout the auditorium, leaving its occupants astonished.

Gerard and David were the first ones to recover from the spell of Scarlett's voice, clapping loudly. The rest of the audience joined them, some getting to their feet. David moved to take center stage, smiling broadly at Scarlett. Scarlett was slow to trust David after his rude treatment and gave him a fleeting smile.

David's smile fell from his face as he realized it was going to take a lot more than that to win Scarlett over. He informed the judges that he was singing "The Music of the Night" and began singing. Scarlett felt the power of David's voice and it touched something deep within her.

She heard and saw nothing but David and his voice. She found herself willing to do anything for him, as long as he would only sing for her. The rest of the audience was under a similar spell, so no one noticed the look of adoration on Scarlett's face. No one except David.

He turned to look at her, smiling at her. He knew exactly what his voice was doing to everyone. His aunt called him her little 'Angel of Music' because his voice had the same captivation that the Phantom's did. Scarlett was grinning back at him, so it was obvious that the idea to win her over using his voice was a good one.

Gerard was the only one other than David to notice his daughter's expression. He thought it was simply that Scarlett knew a good voice when she heard one. This boy had a spectacular voice range as well. A few minutes later and David ended his solo, turning back away from Scarlett. Everyone burst into applause. The judges joined the audience in the applause, then went through the door and into Evelyn's office.

"Thank you to everyone who auditioned tonight; you were all wonderful. If you would please wait a few minutes, we'll pretty much have the cast members selected."

Evelyn followed the judges and shut the door firmly behind them. The students all got up and mingled, releasing their nervous tension. David immediately whirled and caught Scarlett by the arm gently.

"Scarlett? Can I speak with you for a moment?" he asked, his voice low and passionate in her ear.

Scarlett, still recovering from the spell of David's voice, nodded. He pulled her into the darkness of the curtains.

"If you want, I can give you singing lessons. Your voice is amazing, and I can help you improve your form and become even better than you are now. No charge at all."

Scarlett looked up at David, wondering why he was offering. At the same time she thought how wonderful it would be to have lessons with him.

"Alright. When and at what time?"

"Excellent. What about my dorm at three o'clock every afternoon?"

An inner voice questioned the reasonability of David's offer, but a more powerful voice overcame it.

"Starting when?" she asked

"Tomorrow. I'll meet you here and then take you over to my dorm."

Scarlett nodded in agreement and David smiled, disappearing backstage. Scarlett stared after him, then turned and walked back onto the stage. Natalia was running towards her in a heartbeat.

"My goodness, you were superb! And when you and David sang together… it gave me goose bumps!"

Scarlett smiled, finding that she was beginning to like Natalia.

"Thanks."

"Wow, David has a voice on him!" Natalia exclaimed.

"I know, and he looks the part too," Scarlett said. "If his face were disfigured he'd be perfect!"

Natalia's face darkened.

"He does have a disfigurement. He is positively evil sometimes."

Scarlett stared at Natalia in amazement. Sure, at first David had been really rude to her, but once she talked to him he seemed pretty nice.

"He's been nice to me, though."

"Yeah, but you're the one who has the amazing voice, remember?"

Scarlett shivered, suddenly cold. What if Natalia was right and David only seemed interested in her because of her voice? Who was David, and why was he such a mystery to her? Her musing was interrupted as Gerard came over to her.

"You were excellent, honey! You have your mother's sweet gift of music."

Scarlett smiled, touched by the compliment.

"Do I really have Mom's voice?" she asked.

"All of it and more," Gerard reassured her, giving her a hug.

There was a sudden commotion as the door to Evelyn's voice opened. She was holding a stack of papers that had the cast members listed on them. Evelyn held up her hand and immediately everyone fell silent.

"Can I have my Christines and Phantoms come forward?"

Scarlett left Natalia and Gerard and made her way over to Evelyn's office door. Kate had shoved through the crowd and sneered at Scarlett. Thoroughly pissed off, Scarlett glared back until Kate broke eye contact. Keith made it through the crowd, and suddenly David was there too.

"All four of these singers did an amazing job tonight. But only two can play our stars, Christine Daae and the Phantom. Our Phantom will be David Harrison!" Evelyn paused as there was a smattering of applause for David. David took it in stride, doing nothing, his expression unchanged. "And our Christine Daae will be played by Scarlett Richards!"

Scarlett beamed as everyone applauded her. Kate looked positively furious, but Evelyn turned to her and Keith before she could say anything.

"You two have received the other major parts. Kate will be playing Carlotta and Keith will be playing the Viscount Raoul de Chagny!"

The crowd was generous and applauded these two as well. Scarlett looked down at her feet, embarrassed by all the attention. Feeling someone's eyes on her, she glanced up again. Her eyes locked with David's and neither could seem to break contact. Finally David nodded approvingly to her, got a cast list, and melted away into the crowd.

Scarlett did not see him again that night.


	2. Chapter 2

Chapter Two

Gerard had driven his own car, so Evelyn and Scarlett rode with him instead of catching a taxi. Scarlett rode in the back seat and leaned her head against the cool glass of the window, closing her eyes. Evelyn was telling Gerard her expectations for the musical.

"We have an outstanding cast," she said, turning around to smile at Scarlett. "Our band is also doing a wonderful job in the rehearsals I've been able to attend. I think we'll have an amazing production. We're just short an organ player…"

"I would offer to help, but my time is completely devoted to composing now. I have a friend who might be able to help out though," Gerard replied.

Evelyn nodded and the conversation stopped for a few moments. Scarlett snatched at the chance to talk to Evelyn.

"Evelyn, what do you know about David Harrison?" she asked.

There was another moment of silence as Evelyn scrambled to recover after Scarlett's abrupt question.

"Well, let's see… He's a junior in college, he sings, plays the piano, and acts, and I think he is the most misunderstood, lonely person I have ever met."

Scarlett pondered on this for a moment. This was all adding to her vision of David, but not exactly helping her figure out his character.

"Why?"

Evelyn sighed heavily before replying.

"It's not really my story to tell. But he's pushed away everyone with his anger and self-pity. You see, his parents didn't want him, and as soon as they were able to, dumped him with his aunt and haven't made contact since. So now David has a habit of lashing out uncontrollably. But if you want the whole story, you'll have to ask David."

Scarlett nodded, her mind full of what she had just learned. She pitied David, but she wasn't sure what else she thought of him. All she knew was that David was a dark, handsome man that could capture with his voice.

"Why do you ask?" Evelyn asked suddenly.

"Oh, I was just wondering. He's offered to give me singing lessons every day. I'm meeting him at three o'clock tomorrow in the auditorium."

"Tomorrow? Already?" Gerard asked.

"I think that's a wonderful idea!" Evelyn exclaimed. "David knows just about everything there is to know about singing. He could really use some companionship too, the poor thing. Just when rehearsals start there might be some clashes…"

"Oh, I forgot! Dad, I'm dropping Drama."

"Why? I thought you liked Drama. You're good at it too," Gerard said, frowning at his daughter in the rear-view mirror.

"I did, but Mrs. Pratt is an idiot who doesn't know anything about Drama. Besides, all she sees is that I'm Gerard and Katherine Richards' daughter. I could be the worst actress on the planet and she wouldn't care."

"Scarlett!" rebuked Gerard.

"No, no. Scarlett is quite right," Evelyn interrupted. "Lucinda Pratt doesn't understand anything about the Fine Arts. I think you are right to drop that class, Scarlett. You will benefit much more from David's singing lessons."

Gerard's eyes narrowed as Evelyn contradicted him. After a moment he sighed, realizing that it would be impossible for him to refuse Scarlett.

"Alright, I'll sign your paper tonight so you can drop it tomorrow morning."

Scarlett beamed.

"Thank you, Daddy."

That night as she was getting into bed, Scarlett thought she heard a voice singing to her. After a moment she recognized it as the Phantom's part from "Wandering Child".

"Come to your strange Angel."

Scarlett ran to her balcony, thinking that the singer might be outside. A quick scan told her that no one was there. Suddenly she heard the voice again, except over her head this time. Hurrying back inside, she saw that once again, there was no one there. She crossed to her vanity desk and all of a sudden the voice sounded from behind her.

A cold draft blew through the room, extinguishing the lone candle that Scarlett lit every night. The room fell into darkness, and Scarlett's pulse began to skyrocket. Just as she was about to make a run for her door, she felt someone come up behind her.

"Only then can you belong to me," the voice sang in her ear.

Frightened by the possessive tone in the voice, Scarlett screamed. She felt the presence move from behind her and saw her balcony door shut from the corner of her eye. Her knees gave out and she sank to the floor, paralyzed by fear.

Gerard heard his daughter's scream from his composing room and leapt to his feet. He sprinted to Scarlett's room and threw open the door. Surprised by the utter blackness that greeted him, he flicked the light on. Seeing Scarlett trembling on the floor, he knelt by her side.

"Scarlett! What's the matter?"

Scarlett didn't respond, still trembling with fear. Gerard lifted her onto his lap, moving back to sit on the bed. Scarlett eventually stopped shivering and looked up at her dad, her eyes wide with fear.

"There was someone here," she whispered, her voice wavering slightly.

Gerard set her down on the bed and went to look out on the balcony. Sure enough, the fire ladder was extended. Gerard shook at the thought of a stranger in his daughter's bedroom. He thought of how easy it was for someone to take Katherine away from him… He shook his head and went back into the room, shutting and locking the balcony door behind him.

"Alright, honey. I'm going to go and get the phone to call the police. I'll be right back."

Gerard was surprised when Scarlett seized his hand in a vice-like grip.

"No! Don't leave me! He'll come back! I don't care about the police," she cried, her voice suddenly stronger.

Scarlett refused to let go and Gerard sat down in the chair in the corner. Then Scarlett released his hand and started to calm down.

"You're alright now, Scarlett. No one will hurt you while I'm here."

Scarlett smiled slightly and yawned. Now she was exhausted and wanted nothing more than to go to sleep.

"Will you sing to me Dad?"

Gerard began to sing a song he had sung to Scarlett when she had been little. It didn't take long until Scarlett was fast asleep, her dreams care-free and pleasant.

The next morning when Scarlett left for school, Gerard was alarmed to see that she had large, dark rings underneath her eyes.

"Hey, Dad? Do you mind if I borrow one of your cars? Can I take Mom's old one?"

Gerard nodded, not going to deny Scarlett anything after the previous night.

"Have fun today, Scarlett."

Scarlett pulled her mom's old keys from off their hook and headed for the elevator. This time she rode alone down to the parking garage. She pressed a button and saw her mom's silver Audi light up. Once inside the car she started it and backed it out of the garage.

She took the back roads the school to avoid traffic and ended up being one of the first ones there. Scarlett immediately went to the guidance counselor's office to turn in her class-drop slip.

The counselor pursed her lips as she looked over the signatures, trying to find an excuse to refuse to let Scarlett drop the class.

"You're sure you want to drop Drama?" she asked when she found none. "They'd be losing a valuable student."

Scarlett resisted the urge to roll her eyes. The counselor had never seen Scarlett act, and was playing on the fact that she had famous parents, just like everyone else.

"Yes, I'm sure. My father is going to be tutoring me privately."

The counselor sighed and set the slip next to her keyboard.

"Alright. I'll let Mrs. Pratt know you won't be coming to class."

"Thanks," Scarlett said, heading for the door.

Scarlett smiled as she walked out of the office and into the hallway. She was definitely looking forward to this afternoon. The school was beginning to get crowded, so she hurried to her first block class. Krissy was already at her normal spot, saving a seat for Scarlett.

"Hey, where were you?" Krissy asked.

"The guidance counselor. I dropped Drama."

Krissy stared at Scarlett in shock.

"Why? You're a really good actress!"

"I can learn more from my dad than I can from Mrs. Pratt. Besides, I have singing lessons."

"Singing lessons? What for?"

Scarlett motioned for Krissy to lean in closer. Quickly, she told Krissy everything that had happened the previous day, excepting her night intruder. Krissy's eyes grew wise as the teacher came in and the tardy bell rang.

The teacher began the lecture immediately after the bell, so Krissy didn't have time to respond. But halfway through the class, a note was thrown hastily on Scarlett's desk.

That is awesome! I can't believe you got the part! Even though I know you're an amazing singer. So singing lessons, huh? That sounds cool, just remember what that Natalia chick said and BE CAREFUL! This guy could be a total creeper and you'd never know it! Are you leaving after lunch, then?

Scarlett smiled and quickly wrote back.

Don't worry, I'll be careful. But I really think David needs a friend. But yes, I'm leaving after lunch.

Krissy nodded and looked straight ahead as their teacher suddenly stared at them.

"Do you have something you'd like to share, Miss Richards?"

Scarlett glanced at her notes, then fixed a confused expression on her face.

"Yes sir. I am a little confused about number twenty-four in the book…"

Krissy hid a smirk behind her hand. Yes, Scarlett was an excellent actress. It obviously came in handy sometimes, too. The two friends glanced at each other, but had to look away before they burst into laughter.

Krissy and Scarlett didn't get chance to talk again until their lunch period. By then Scarlett was impatient for three o'clock to come around. Krissy made Scarlett stay at school the entire lunch period before she left.

"When am I ever going to see you anymore?" Krissy complained. "The least you can do is stay and hang out with me at lunch."

Scarlett had tried her best to have fun with Krissy, but her thoughts kept straying to her upcoming singing lesson with David. Finally the lunch bell rang and Scarlett could go out to her car. It was only noon and Scarlett had no shopping to do, so she just went home. Gerard greeted her cheerily from his composing room.

"How is it having a free period now?" he asked, coming out into the living room.

Scarlett grinned at him as she grabbed a snack from the kitchen.

"It feels awesome. Now I don't have to suffer through Drama or Seminar anymore."

Gerard chuckled and turned to go back into his composing room.

"If you need me I'll be composing," he called over his shoulder.

Scarlett adjusted her backpack strap and went into her room. She stood in the doorway, surveying the once comforting sanctuary. She had come in here to sing, read, or just be alone. Now she just got the chills looking at it. Rebuking herself for her cowardice, Scarlett crossed over to the bed, sat down, and took out her homework.

Suddenly she got the feeling that someone was watching her. Angrily, she shook it off. She refused to be afraid in her own room.

There wasn't enough homework to keep her busy until three o'clock. Scarlett stared at her clock when she was done. It read one thirty, and she glared at it, wishing time would speed up. She would probably leave in forty-five minutes to an hour. Sighing, Scarlett laid back on the pillows, trying to think of a way to entertain herself.

Suddenly sitting up, Scarlett went over to her bookshelf and pulled out her movie sleeve. She found the movie she wanted and inserted it into her DVD player. She turned on the T.V. and went back over to her bed, grabbing the remote from her bedside table. The Phantom of the Opera was her favorite movie, and she figured it might be good if she re-watched it.

She sang along with Christine's part and laughed at how ridiculously perfect Kat was for Carlotta's character. When she got to the part when the Phantom was singing to Christine in her dressing room, her mouth fell open. The Phantom cast a "spell" over Christine with his voice, and David's was exactly the same for her.

They both had the same possessive and passionate tones when they sang. Thinking back to her intruder last night, Scarlett remembered how possessive the voice had sounded. Gently shaking herself, Scarlett glanced at the clock. It was two o'clock. She could leave in fifteen more minutes.

Scarlett wandered into the living room. The door to the composing room was shut, which meant that Gerard did not want to be disturbed. Scarlett went into the kitchen and made herself a quick sandwich. She sat down to eat it and had to keep reminding herself not to eat it too fast.

Finally she was able to go down into the parking garage. Entering out onto the street, she saw that it was jam-packed with traffic. Groaning, she eased out onto the street in between two cars and settled in to wait. Little by little, the traffic inched down the street.

Almost half an hour later, Scarlett found the reason for the hold-up. The two crashed cars were being moved out of the way, with the fire truck and ambulance taking up more room. Everything picked up after that, and Scarlett sped around the other cars.

Scarlett arrived at the university ten minutes before the lesson was supposed to start. She prayed that she could find the auditorium without getting lost, like she had the day before. She hurried through the labyrinth of hallways, miraculously finding the theater almost immediately. She cracked open the side door and found David and Keith talking.

Not wanting to interrupt, Scarlett began to ease the door closed again. But then David spoke her name and she stopped.

"Don't mess with Scarlett. She's special and I don't want you toying with her. Use one of your sorority girls for that."

Keith glared at David. Scarlett didn't know much about these two, but she got the feeling they weren't the best of buds.

"I think you like her already, David. Fell in love with her because of her pretty voice? Get real, man. Besides, what are _you_ going to do about it?" Keith taunted. Scarlett felt a hot stab of anger at Keith's belittling tone.

David stepped closer to Keith, his expression murderous. Keith unwillingly took a step back from the heat of David's glare. Scarlett shuddered silently at David's intensity.

"_She is mine_," David hissed. "Mess with her and I'll make you wish you hadn't. Now leave."

Keith rolled his eyes and turned on his heel, stalking from the auditorium. David sighed, ran a hand through his hair, and started pacing, casting anxious glances at the main doors. It gave Scarlett a strange sense of happiness to know that David was impatient for their lessons too. She took a deep breath to compose herself and went inside.

David immediately turned when she entered, a smile stealing across his face.

"You're right on time."

Scarlett gave him a tiny smile and shrugged nonchalantly.

"I thought I would I would have been late. There was a huge traffic jam on my street."

David stepped closer, his eyes never leaving Scarlett's face. Scarlett's heart reacted, speeding up involuntarily.

"Well, I'm glad you weren't late. My dorm is this way. Shall we?"

He held out his hand, which was covered by a thick, black leather glove. After a moment of hesitation, Scarlett took it. David's fingers closed gently over hers and he led her from the auditorium. The close of the big doors echoed ominously in the silence of the hallway.

David led her through the maze of halls, going deeper into the school. Scarlett was surprised to see that the school seemed deserted.

"Where is everyone, David?" she asked.

"Most likely either sleeping or doing work. No one is usually in the halls in the after classes."

They walked in silence for a few moments. David kept turning around to look at her, smiling. Scarlett felt a sense of déjà vu and realized that this reminded her of when Christine was going to the Phantom's lair. She almost burst out laughing at similarity.

"This reminds of when-"

David turned again, and, without stopping, put a finger to her lips.

"I know. But don't ruin the moment," he said quietly.

After a few more turns, David stopped, opened a door, and led Scarlett into his dorm. Scarlett's mouth dropped in awe; David's humongous room was decorated exactly like the Phantom's lair. There were black curtains that hung over the windows and a gauzy black curtain above the bed. The room was lit entirely by candlelight and there was a grand piano in one corner.

"David, this is wonderful," she exclaimed, looking around.

"Yeah, I know. This is the place where I can be me, and nothing but myself," David said, coming up behind her.

"How did you get a room this big?"

"This whole section of the dorms is private. They're a lot bigger than the other dorms, but a hell of a lot more expensive. I think it's worth it, though."

Scarlett turned around, then her eyes widened when she saw how close David was to her. David smiled, then walked past her to sit at the piano. He pulled up a soft cushion stool next to him and patted it.

"Come and sit down. We'll start the lesson now."

Scarlett obeyed him, crossing the room quickly to sit down. David turned to her and checked her posture. Scarlett had the posture of a ballerina, but she still sat straighter under David's scrutiny. David's mouth twisted and he had to work to keep his expression professional.

"Your posture was fine before, Scarlett. Just make sure to keep your chest and back straight whenever you're singing."

Scarlett nodded. This was singing for dummies information for a veteran singer. David turned to the piano and the lesson officially began…


End file.
